Drama Circles

Are you looking for a fun, cooperative learning activity that builds confidence in your students AND helps with following directions AND oral fluency practice?  A Drama Circle just may be the answer!

Drama Circles aren't just for drama classes - they are great for any class, at any time.  My class loves them so much they don't even realize they working on so many academic skills at the same time.

Drama Circles Set the Tone
I like to start using drama circles right from the very beginning of the school year as it can really help set the tone for a successful year.

• Students need to actively listen to each other to keep the activity going.
• They must wait their turn, and give their attention to one student.
• They need to cooperate with their classmates and build on the previous action.
• They need to follow the directions given to them.
• They will learn to be open to new experiences.
• They will share a fun activity that has them learning to be comfortable with acting, performing, and reading aloud in front of their classmates.

How They Work

Students assemble in a circle, facing each other.  The teacher hands out the cards in a random order (there are 40 cards in most of the drama circles, so some students will have one card and some students will have two).  From there, the activity is similar to the "I have ... who has?" game because students need to listen to their classmates to know when it is their turn to act out the instructions on their card.  Students are encouraged to use large, over-the-top actions and reactions because it not only adds to the fun, but it also makes it easier for the other students to follow along.

Tips to Make Drama Circles Even More Successful

Sometimes you get that class that just LOVES to perform - this class won't need any help with drama circles.  They they will beg you to do them ... every single day.  But sometimes you have a class that is a little quieter, or a little more shy, or just lacking in the confidence needed to perform ... but having done drama circles from the very beginning of my teaching career, I have a few suggestions.

• Number the cards on the back (the majority of the drama circles I have made are numbered, but some of my very earliest ones are not).  That way, if the circle breaks down, you know which number needs to go next.
• Scan the cards as you are handing them out - give cards with a little more talking and actions to some of the more confident students in your class who love performing - you know who they are.  ;)  
• Some teachers highlight the speaking parts on the cards - I have used a bold font for the speaking parts on my newer drama circles.
• After handing out the cards, allow students a minute or two to read over their cards.  They can check with the teacher or person beside them if they have any questions about some of the words, or brainstorm ways to perform the actions on the card - it helps build excitement this way.
• If time permits, let them repeat the circle if it doesn't go perfectly smoothly at first - I have found this is THE KEY to performing drama circles with a class that is a little more subdued - the second time is always better.  Let students switch cards with others in the circle - they will often see a card that they really want to perform - and will have already planned their actions and responses.
• Have fun and let loose.
• If you have the space and the weather is cooperative, take the circles outside!
• And lastly ... but most importantly ... get in there and participate with your students!  Make memories with them.  :)

Are you convinced yet?  I've got a fun FREE Fairy Tale Drama Circle you can download and try with your class right away.  Just click HERE or on the picture to the right to grab a copy.  You can check out ALL my drama circles by clicking HERE.

We've had so much fun with the drama circles in my classroom, I've made some sets of Math Circles which follow the same format.  They are SO.MUCH.FUN when reviewing a concept right before a test - anything that gets them up and moving while learning is always a HIT in my class.  Click HERE to see all my math circles.

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Upper Grade Classroom Ideas for October

The month of October is always a lot of fun in my classroom, and I just wanted to share some of our very favourite activities across different subjects.

Math:
"If you can't beat them, join them" ... so last year I resisted to urge to battle the candy in the classroom rule the day after Halloween ... instead, we put those candy wrappers to good use.  :)  I asked students to empty their lunches (and pockets) of all their Halloween treats and we made a tally chart showing all the treats brought to school that day (a little shocking, but made for some great data).  Once we had completed our class tally chart, I let the students work in pairs to represent the data in three way - a chart, a graph of their choice, and show the mean and median.  So much fun, and it kept them focused through the sugar rush.

Math and Visual Art:

These spiderwebs integrate math and visual arts - and are so striking on display.  I would definitely recommend them for grades 5 and up.  Students practice their multiples while drawing the lines for the web.  You can read more about these spiderwebs on a blog post I wrote HERE.  (Be sure to follow the link to Teaching with TLC for full instructions).

I also have a set of Fall-themed math craftivities that also make a beautiful display in the classroom.  The place value candy corn takes your students through standard, written, and expanded form.  The pumpkin pie problems have your students examining and solving different word problems that cover a variety of concepts - all with a pumpkin pie theme.  Just a warning - you will be craving pumpkin pie after this one is completed.  ;)

Science:

One of my favorite October science activities went perfectly with our Human Body unit.  We made our own blood models - and it was a HUGE hit with the students.  It was a great hands-on activity that had the class interested and engaged during the whole time.  It can be done at any time of the year, but has just the perfect amount of "creepy" to make it perfect for October.  You can read more about the blood model and the activities we did to accompany it HERE.  

Visual Art:

This optical illusion art lesson is perfect for October because the final piece resembles a spider web.  The activity is low-prep and low-material, making it a great activity for those hectic days in October.  Students can even add a little spider at the end for a fun 3D effect.  You can preview the art lesson HERE.

Literacy:

I love how these little October Craftivities look in the classroom - and how they get the students thinking.  We used the Story Element pumpkins for our Read Aloud (The Worst Best Halloween Ever), the Comprehension Strategy ghosts with the students' independent reading, and the Synonym Gravestones with our writing minilessons.  You can take a peek at this bundle of October Literacy Craftivities HERE.

Fall into poetry with this Falling Leaves poetry resource.  This resource has your students learning about poetic devices and making their own example for each.  They then create 7 different Fall-themed poems (following the guided instructions and examples given).  These longer poems can be written on the leaves included in the resource to create both a beautiful poetry booklet as well as a Fall leaf poetry craftivity that will combine the beauty of Fall and the beauty of poetry to make an eye-catching display that you won't want to take down until long after all the leaves have fallen outside.

I also have some Halloween-themed Writing Prompts for some fun narrative writing just before Halloween.  Students love sharing their spooky stories with their peers, and the colorful stationery is perfect for display.  You can download these for free HERE.

And, last but not least, if you have little ones at home, or cover a younger grade class, or pair up your students with younger students, I have this little page I made for a primary co-worker at my school.  You can download it from google docs HERE.

Happy October!

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Currently in October

Ahhhh .... October.  It's a day into the month, but I wasn't in a hurry to get my Currently posted this month ... I like to take my time in October.

I LOVE everything about October ... the cooler air, the gorgeous leaves, Thanksgiving (yes, Canadian Thanksgiving), fall boots and sweaters, Halloween ... it's all so very good.  I'm thankful that my girls love getting outside with me during this month and put up with my endless requests for car rides and walks so I can take in all the beauty that's around me.

And listening to all this rain fall makes me think about how grateful I am that we finally got the roof on the addition we're building (and the heat hooked back up) ... now, if only I could get them to finish the windows and doors I could stop the leaks.  The reno will be great when it's done (we've outgrown our little house), but I desperately want this process to speed up ... where I live there's bound to be snow in the next few weeks.

I'm also thinking about the new art resources I've been working on in my TPT store.  If you read my blog regularly, I'm sure you have seen our finished products, but after a few requests, I've been working on adding full instructions and a detailed PowerPoint lesson for students to follow.  I'm having so much fun with these!  I've only finished up three so far, but you can take a peek at them by clicking HERE.

And now the fun part ... the treat (because what's October without a little Halloween treat).  I have a great Halloween themed writing freebie on TPT perfect for October.  I you haven't already scooped these up, grab your copy by clicking HERE.

Be sure to hop on over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade to see all the goodness (and treats) linked up for October's Currently.  I KNOW there is some greatness over there to see.  :)

Other Autumn-Themed Resources:

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Friday Art Feature - Snowy Birch Trees

I LOVE teaching art!  I love it even more on a Friday morning when you just know the students are exhausted and teaching something new would be an exercise in futility.  ;)

Whenever I post one of our art activities, I inevitably get asked, "How do you have the time to teach art?"  Art is part of our curriculum - which we have to assess.  My students don't have "specials" - I teach almost all their subjects, including art.  And I am so glad that get the opportunity!  :)

Today we took on snowy art trees - and as impressive as they turned out, it was a very easy art project with success for all!

We started our with a piece of plain white computer paper.  With very light pencil marks, we drew in the horizon, a large moon, and some lines for birch trees (students were free to draw as many as they wished).  We talked about perspective - how the trees closer to the bottom of the page would look larger, and the trees closer to the horizon would appear smaller.  

We then used a deep blue oil pastel to shade in the sky area.  From there, we used black and grey pastels to make the markings on the birch trees (a tree we are VERY familiar with up here).  When that was done, we added in the shadows for the trees with the grey pastel, and used the white to make a subtle ring around the moon.

The last step was to add some "snow" (white acrylic paint) by dabbing it over the whole page with the end of a paint brush.  When all was done, I laminated them (on a lower heat so the pastel didn't bleed) and posted them for all to admire.  We finished the main part (the drawing and pastel work) in about 45 minutes (some less) which gave lots of time for the paint to dry so I could get them laminated and posted at the end of the day.

Happy Friday!

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Friday Art Feature - Fall Trees

I LOVE Fall ... every single thing about it.  I love the colours, the cooler temperatures, the smell in the air ... everything.  And it gets even better - this weekend is our Canadian Thanksgiving - so it will be full of family and friends, and a yummy, yummy dinner.

I just had to bring a little Fall into the classroom.  In anticipation of my favourite season, I decorated my shelves a few weeks ago.  

If you follow my facebook page, you also know I've been working on some Fall craftivities for my students.  These activities are all literacy based - two of them can be used for book or novel studies (a great non-traditional book report), and the other is perfect for studying synonyms or word choice in writing.  Right now we are reading The Worst Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson and working on the Plot Pumpkins.  I can't wait until they are all on display in the classroom.  I put all three craftivities together in a bundle, but I have also listed them separately in my TPT store.  You can take a peek by clicking HERE or on the picture below. 

We also brought a little Fall into the classroom with the art project we completed on Thursday.  We started with a white sheet of cardstock.  We then used watercolours and foam brushes to paint the background - a wash going from blue to green down the page.

When the paint dried, we then used a watered-down black acrylic paint (about half water / half paint - the consistency of milk) for the trunks.  We used the straw blowing-technique to make the trunks. We poured a quarter-sized puddle of black paint near the bottom of the page, and blew into the straw to make the branches and a few roots.  The colour was a little lighter than I had hoped for, but once the leaves were added, it turned out perfectly fine. 

The last step was adding the leaves.  We used bristle brushes and acrylic paint in red, yellow, and orange.  Students simply dotted and "smooshed" the brush in different directions, layering the colours to create the leaves.  The overall effect was quite "leaf-like".  :)  LOVE them.  A few people have asked me why our art projects are always shiny when finished.  I like to laminate all our art before I display it (and I always use 8.5 x 11 size paper) because we make a book at the end of the year with all our art and writing from the year.  Here are some of our finished Fall trees.

I hope you have a terrific weekend!  And Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!!!

Other Fall-Themed Resources:

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Friday Art Feature: Name Spheres and 3D Pencil Crayons

It's my first "Friday Art Feature" of the year!  :)

I LOVE teaching art, and I LOVE displaying my students' artwork in the classroom - it adds such a personal touch.  This year I'm trying something new with our art display.  I changed bulletin boards for our art, and I now have a HUGE bulletin board for our display.   For our first finished art, I displayed all 28 pieces.  When it came time to post our second pieces, I took all but 3 down (the top row) and displayed all new pieces under that.  When it comes time to complete and post our third piece, I will leave the first row up (our name spheres), the second row up (our 3D pencil crayons), and post our third piece on the third row and below, and so on.  This way, a sample of all our art will be on display.  I will take it all down at the end of our first term, and start over again for second term.  

For our first art projects of the year, I always like to do some sort of name art.  For this project, I gave each student a piece of 8.5 x 11 white paper, with a circle already drawn on it.  They had to write their names in block or bubble letters, filling the circle as completely as they could.  Each letter had to touch the top and bottom of the circle, as well as the letters beside it.  Once students had written their names, they got to color the letters any way they wished (most went for the rainbow theme).  Students then cut out their names and glued them to a piece of black construction paper (9 x 12).

We are just finishing up our second art projects of the year right now (about half of my students had them completed by the end of the week).  For this one, we looked at lines, shading, and color to create the illusion of 3D pencil crayons.  Students started with a focal point and then had to draw an even number of lines coming out of the focal point (with even spaces between the lines).  They then drew a larger circle around the focal point, and curved lines just a little further down.

They then had to shade between the lines (we used pencil crayons for the shading).  Heavy pressure on the outside of each "cone" (making the shadow for the 3D effect), medium pressure moving in from there, and the lightest pressure down the middle of each cone.  Students had to use a different color for each cone (pencil crayon), with the same color repeated in the middle of each cone (representing the wood part of the pencil crayon.  Most of the students opted to outline their cones with a fine tip black sharpie when they were done.

You can take a peek at my full lesson for this Pencil Crayon Op-Art here.  The lesson includes a full PDF as well as PowerPoint lesson with pictures and detailed step-by-step instructions for students, as well as a rubric for assessment and student reflection sheet.

That's about it for today!  Happy Friday!!!  Have a wonderful weekend.  :)

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Friday Art Feature - Comic Book Onomatopoeia

I LOVE saving figurative language until June - it's such a fun language unit ... and perfect for our "dreaming of summer brains".  We finished up our EQAO testing mid week, and this onomatopoeia activity was the perfect break from testing.

How fun is that???  Students chose two contrasting colours - one for the background and one for the word and border "bursting out of the page".  They also needed newspaper (cut just a fraction smaller that the "bursting out of the page border" and glued the newspaper on top.  They glued their word on top of that (we had brainstormed a lot of onomatopoeia words, but for some reason most of them chose SPLAT for their word).  I also had them do a little shading under their letters for that little extra POP (see, I know some onomatopoeia words, too).  ;)

I had seen this awesome idea on Pinterest and followed it back to Artisan des Arts.  Her examples are FANTASTIC!!

We also wrote simile poems this week.  I found a little template HERE for the students to use for their rough copies.  When students were finished their templates, I had them write out their good copies, and illustrate a few lines with a small image.  

I hung these up, too ... LOVING our bulletin board switch up ... even this late in the school year!!!  (I have two of these "smART class" bulletin boards side by side in the classroom.

15 more school days left ... I think I can ... I think I can ...

Happy Friday!!!

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Thursday Art Feature - Reflection Pop Art

Just popping in quickly to share a fun little art project my students completed this week.  I integrated our math unit into our art (again), and knew I wanted to do something with symmetry.  Then I thought I'd kick it up a notch and throw in some pop art culture.  This is what we ended up with:

It's so bright and cheerful in our room ... and with the weather we've been having, and how we're all feeling, we needed a little more bright and fun in our room.

Students started out by folding their page (just a piece of white computer paper) into fourths (they drew lines along the fold lines, which would become our lines of reflection later).  They then had to cut an image from a magazine to glue into one of the fourths.  They used miras to help them reflect the image into the four quadrants - flipping the image each time.

We then did a quick lesson on pop art - read some quick biographies about Andy Warhol we found online, and looked at some of his pictures.  When they finished drawing, they had to colour in the remaining quadrants "pop art style".  LOVE!

Happy Thursday!  

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